The Milwaukee 7

The Milwaukee 7, launched in September 2005, was formed to create a regional, cooperative economic development platform for the seven counties of southeastern Wisconsin: Kenosha, Milwaukee, Ozaukee, Racine, Walworth, Washington and Waukesha.  Its mission is to attract, retain and grow diverse businesses and talent.

Together, these seven counties have a wealth of corporate headquarters, a pool of highly skilled workers and world-class amenities.  Competing as a region broadens our range of choices and opportunities and gives us the competitive edge that we need, today, and into the future. Milwaukee 7 priorities include:

Business Starts, Expansions & Attractions

• Manufacturing - Power, Automation, Controls and Energy
  

• Water Technologies / Milwaukee Water Council
• Food & Beverage Advisory Council
• MiKE Innovation in Milwaukee
• Business Call Program
• BizStarts Milwaukee
• Milwaukee EB-5 Visa Foreign Investor Program

Business Climate Improvement

• Inner City Business Development
• Talent Attraction & Retention / FUEL Milwaukee
  
• Technology Transfer
  
• Workforce Development / STEM7
  
  

Marketing/Branding

• Leading Industries Brochure
• Food Industry Brochure
  
• Manufacturing Industry Brochure
• Regional Identity & Branding

MILWAUKEE 7: ACCELERATING ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

The Milwaukee 7 continues to build the region's capacity and accelerate
economic growth.  Through its work, more than 8,100 jobs have been created or retained in the region, with an impact of more than $430 million in direct payroll and $600 million in capital investment.  The Milwaukee 7 has also leveraged millions of dollars in federal earmarks, state assistance and other municipal investments for business projects that make the Milwaukee Region stronger and a more attractive place to do business.

View the Milwaukee 7 2011 Report: Driving Economic Growth >>here

View the Milwaukee 7 Performance Scorecard >>here

WINS FOR THE REGION

Milwaukee Electric Tool Corp. is expanding its research and
development center with a $6 million investment and will add 60 new jobs at its Brookfield headquarters in the coming years. As part of the investment, Milwaukee Electric Tool has established a global rotary hammer advanced development center as well as an advanced motor development and prototyping center. The company's facility in Brookfield has more than 400 employees. Milwaukee currently employs approximately 1,000 people globally.


United Natural Foods is planning to start construction this summer on a $41 million organic food distribution center in Sturtevant. Based in Providence, R.I., the company will use the facility as a hub for its distribution throughout the Midwest, and create 220 jobs.


Campbell’s Soup has consolidated its spice production in Milwaukee, moving the work done at its New Jersey operation to Milwaukee and adding 10 production jobs. The company is retaining 35 jobs here at its local operation, bringing its total workforce to 45.


Noark Electric is a manufacturer of electrical components that is headquartered in China and has significant operations in Europe. The company has moved its U.S. operation from Rockford, IL to Oak Creek. Noark expects to have 19 technical and administrative positions in Oak Creek by 2015.


Fire Safety Sales relocated from Bloomington, IL to the City of Milwaukee. A manufacturer and distributor of fire suppression devices, the company will bring 19 headquarters, sales and support staff positions to it new location. In addition to receiving a $1.2 million line of credit from the Milwaukee Economic Development Corp., the firm expects to receive support through the federal EB-5 foreign investment program.


Blue Star Infotech of India and Trisept Solutions of Bayside have announced a joint venture, Blue7 Solutions, that will create 250 new jobs in Bayside over the next five years at an average salary of $60,000. This marks Milwaukee 7's largest foreign direct investment project to date. Blue7 Solutions will be a “Travel Services Center of Excellence” serving the customers of Blue Star and Trisept. Blue Star Infotech, based in Mumbai, India, is an IT firm that operates seven software development centers in Mumbai and Bangalore. Trisept Solutions, headquartered in Bayside, has 180 employees worldwide and provides technology services for vacation packages and travel agencies, facilitating 3.5 million travel packages annually. Wisconsin was in competition with four other states for the operation, including Michigan, Pennsylvania, Texas and Virginia.

Paul Davis Restoration is moving its headquarters,
training facility, and 100 jobs to Milwaukee’s south side in a new 40,000 square-foot building. Paul Davis Restoration is a series of local franchises owned by The Franchise Company
out of Toronto, Canada. The company provides insurance and disaster recovery services including construction, restoration and stabilization, data and record recovery, and equipment restoration. 

Paul Davis will make a capital investment of $10 million in equipment and a new headquarters building to be located in Milwaukee along I-94 north of Becher, and will create approximately 100 jobs over the next six years. The company considered other cities including Houston, Omaha and Indianapolis for its national headquarters and training facility before choosing Milwaukee.

Inesa has located its flagship North American operation in Milwaukee’s Menomonee River Valley.  The company manufactures electric panels for customers serving a variety of industrial markets. Inesa is a joint venture between Grupo Elektra and Ine, both headquartered in Spain.  The company will occupy 5,700 square feet of space at the Canal Street Commerce Center, where it will assemble and test panels.  The company will initially employ five people at the Milwaukee location.

“Milwaukee was on our radar screen because Ingeteam and Talgo, which are already customers, are located here,” said Iñigo Lopetegui, Operating Manager for Inesa.  “But we quickly realized that Milwaukee’s deep manufacturing assets, such as a highly skilled workforce, would support the long-term objective of growing our U.S. customer base.  This is an excellent place for manufacturers like us.” 

Bostik is consolidating its R&D operations and planning a $10 million expansion at its U.S. headquarters in Wauwatosa,
resulting in the creation of 76 new jobs. Bostik has 164 employees in Wauwatosa and is among the largest manufacturers of adhesives and sealants in the world. Bostik is part of Bostik worldwide, which is based in France. Bostik has operations in eight other U.S. states and 40 countries, with worldwide employment of 4,600. 

Wauwatosa will become a Bostik Global Center of Excellence for adhesives technology. Other locations were strongly considered for the operation. “We looked at consolidating our R&D facilities in Paris, Shanghai or Wauwatosa,” said Bob Marquette, Bostik president and CEO.

Baptista’s Bakery is planning a major expansion that will nearly double the size of its baking facility in Franklin. The $75 million project will add
new equipment and about 120,000 square feet of additional space. The contract manufacturer of baked snacks currently has 160 employees and plans to add more than 200 new full-time jobs when the expansion is completed. The City of Franklin is providing a $500,000 grant in conjunction with $2.26 million from a state tax credit program to support the expansion.

Stella & Chewy’s, a producer of natural pet food for dogs and cats, is moving from Muskego to a larger location in Milwaukee. The company produces high-end pet food for dogs and cats from 95% all-natural meat and organic fruits and vegetables that is frozen or freeze-dried, which maintains the taste and nutritional benefits. Stella & Chewy's currently has 26 employees and plans to add eight or nine more with the expansion, which includes $6 million in capital investment.

Thomas Magnete, a German manufacturer of fluid power devices for the automotive and machinery markets, has selected Brookfield for its first production facility in the U.S. to better serve and expand its American customer base.

Thomas Magnete USA is owned by Thomas Magnete GmbH, headquartered in Herdorf, Germany, with operations in Europe and Asia. The company will spend $3 million to buy equipment and renovate a 20,000-square-foot leased building, and expects to create 27 new jobs by 2015. The State of Wisconsin, Waukesha County, the City of Brookfield and M7 worked collaboratively to secure this project. The company chose the Milwaukee Region based on its workforce, location, educational system and infrastructure that all directly support manufacturing.

Spanish firm Sic Lazaro, a producer of industrial
counterweights, is establishing its first manufacturing operation
in North America on Milwaukee’s far north side. The company
will occupy a 138,000-square-foot manufacturing facility at 7044-7100 N. Teutonia Ave. Sic Lazaro expects to open in fall 2011 and hire about 30 employees within a year.

The company targeted Wisconsin as a location because of the state’s manufacturing heritage and base. “We think Milwaukee is an excellent location for manufacturing and an ideal place from which to serve the U.S. market,” said Cliff Ratza, who will manage the company’s Milwaukee plant.

Quad/Graphics will create as many as 1,300 jobs in southeast
Wisconsin as it merges operations following the acquisition of World Color Press Inc. in 2010 for $1.3 billion. “Milwaukee 7
was instrumental in helping us early on in our process of deciding where to put these 1,300 jobs,” said Joel Quadracci, Quad/Graphics chairman, president and CEO.

Now the second-largest printer in the Western Hemisphere, Sussex-based Quad is receiving $46 million in state assistance through Enterprise Zone tax credits to create the new jobs and retain 5,500 existing jobs in Wisconsin. The merged company has combined sales of $5.1 billion and 30,000 employees, with about 6,000 workers in Wisconsin at five plants.

Bucyrus International is expanding its mining equipment operations and
will create 515 jobs as a result of growing demand and the acquisition of the mining division of Terex Corp. South Milwaukee-based Bucyrus is investing $44 million for the project, including $5 million for worker training and $39 million in capital investment to rehab the former Midwest Airlines headquarters in Oak Creek that will serve as its headquarters. The state is providing $20 million in the form of Enterprise Zone tax credits to support the company’s consolidation and expansion.

Caterpillar, the world's largest construction equipment maker, recently purchased Bucyrus for $7.6 billion to greatly expand its mining machine manufacturing footprint, adding large shovels and drills to its range of smaller mining machinery. Peoria, Ill.-based Cat will locate its global mining division headquarters at Bucyrus' new headquarters in Oak Creek.

Seda International Packaging Group, a world leader in paper
converting for the food industry, is locating its North American
packaging facility in Racine County, creating 189 new jobs. The state
is providing $4.2 million in tax credits and a $1.5 million Community Development Block Grant forgivable loan. Italy-based Seda chose Wisconsin for its first North American location over Toronto and Pennsylvania.

“Wisconsin’s well-trained workforce and Gov. Doyle’s personal pitch to our company are among the major reasons we are locating our manufacturing operations in Wisconsin, and we look forward to a long and successful relationship with the state,” said Gianfranco D'Amato, managing director of Seda International Packaging Group. The Seda Group produces packaging for ice cream, beverages and fast food containers.

Waukesha Electric Systems is breaking ground on a $70 million plant expansion that is expected to add up to 250 jobs. One of the largest manufacturers of power transformers in the U.S., Waukesha Electric is preparing to build bigger power transformers that can cost up to $10 million each and weigh hundreds of tons. The company considered sites in Turkey, China, India and other parts of the U.S.

Telcom & Data, a 15-year-old provider of
telecommunications products, has selected Bay View on Milwaukee’s south side for its new location. The company chose Milwaukee because it wanted to escape the expense of Chicago, but stay in a vibrant community. “Milwaukee is like Chicago in that we’re by the lake, it’s got a lot of great places like Chicago, but it’s not like Chicago in that it’s much more affordable to live here (and) rent space here,” said Telcom President Ricardo Trinidad. The company plans on hiring 20 workers with room to expand up to 30.

American Micro Detection Systems, Inc., a water technology company, announced it has chosen Milwaukee as the location for its manufacturing and support operations. AMDS, headquartered in Stockton, Cal., manufactures sophisticated analytical instruments used to detect contaminants in water and other fluids. The company will initially employ around 10 people when it opens, but hopes to have several hundred employees in five years. AMDS' decision to locate in Milwaukee is another example of how water technology is becoming a strong driver of economic development in southeast Wisconsin.

AMDS considered two other U.S. cities before selecting Milwaukee for its operations. Key factors in the company's decision were the region's focus on water technology and our core group of companies and academic institutions, including UW-Milwaukee's School of Freshwater Sciences; a deep pool of manufacturing talent; assets that support manufacturing; and investment by Badger Meter.

Helios USA has chosen Milwaukee's Menomonee Valley as the site for its first photovoltaic manufacturing plant serving the growing North American market. The first solar module manufacturer in Wisconsin, Helios will begin full production in the fourth quarter of 2010 and utilize an advanced, automated production platform to serve both the commercial and residential markets.

Helios selected Milwaukee based on its energy-related manufacturing heritage and its skilled labor pool. The company expects to hire 10 to 20 people by the end of 2010 and more than 50 by the following summer. Multiple entities collaborated to lure Helios to Milwaukee, including the Milwaukee 7, City of Milwaukee, Milwaukee Economic Development Corporation, Wisconsin Department of Commerce and BizStarts.

Spanish train manufacturer Talgo, Inc. is locating its first U.S. assembly plant in Milwaukee.  Talgo, based in Madrid, had considered a half dozen sites for its U.S. plant. The 134,000-square-foot Milwaukee facility will assemble Talgo high speed trains for the entire United States and create up to 125 jobs initially.

Last year, Wisconsin Gov. Jim Doyle made a bold commitment to purchase two 14-car trains for $47 million from Talgo for Amtrak's Milwaukee-to-Chicago line.

Ingeteam Inc., a Spanish manufacturer of wind turbine generators, is bringing 275 jobs to a new factory being built in Milwaukee that will serve as the company’s North American headquarters. The new 50,000-square-foot plant is being constructed in the Menomonee Valley, a former brownfield that has received national awards for its revitalization. The Zamudio, Spain-based company selected Milwaukee from 80 sites.

“Milwaukee has a labor pool experienced in electrical manufacturing…the area also boasts prestigious universities with some of the highest-ranked engineering departments in the country," said Aitor Sotes, CEO of Ingeteam Inc.

Another lure was a new state tax credit provided to companies that create full-time jobs.

Republic Airways Holdings Inc., parent company of Frontier
Airlines, plans to move 800 jobs to Milwaukee and Oak Creek, including the relocation of 200 heavy-maintenance positions from Denver and about 100 call-center employees from Las Cruces, N.M.

The consolidation plan will retain 800 jobs and create up to 800 more. Job functions include flight crews, heavy aircraft maintenance and technical support and reservations call center.

Dickten Masch Plastics, a producer of plastic components for
the power tool, electronics, small engine, construction, health care and food industries, is building a $2.8 million addition to its Waukesha County plant. The expansion will create 75 jobs and includes a new production line.

Clifton Gunderson, one of the nation’s largest certified
public accounting and consulting firms, relocated its
corporate headquarters from Peoria, Ill. to Wauwatosa in
June 2009. 

The move was made in conjunction with the promotion of Krista McMasters to CEO. Only the fourth CEO in Clifton Gunderson’s nearly 50 year history, McMasters also is the first and only female to serve as CEO among the nation’s top 25 certified public accounting firms in the history of the profession.

“Milwaukee is a vibrant city, rich in culture and history, and locating our firm headquarters here reinforces our commitment to Wisconsin and to our local clients.” said McMasters. “This decision will allow us to better support and meet the needs of our Milwaukee-area clients while continuing to provide the high level of quality and service they have come to expect from us.”

Gehl Corporation, the West Bend manufacturer of construction and agricultural equipment, considered relocating to another state. At risk were 190 high paying headquarter jobs, and the potential of more than 80 new R&D positions. Thanks to a regional response coordinated by the Milwaukee 7 that
included $7 million in state, county and municipal incentives, Gehl built a new $20 million headquarters and R&D facility that stabilizes and anchors West Bend.


C&D Technologies, a manufacturer of industrial batteries headquartered in Pennsylvania with a plant in Milwaukee, was having workforce and permitting issues here. Milwaukee 7 spearheaded a regional response, which helped establish 50 additional jobs. M7 then helped secure a federal earmark for the company that led to an initial commitment to bring a multimillion-dollar lithium-ion battery research facility and up to 150 new jobs to Milwaukee, beating out Pennsylvania and Shanghai, China, for the plant.